Nevada Landlords Cannot Change the Locks on a Current Tenant

Published November 5, 2026

By Mike German

Author Source EEAT Authors · Mike's Author Page

Laws and prices updated November 2026. Nevada treats two jobs very differently, even though they look the same from the hallway. A new lock on a vacant unit is normal turnover work. A new lock that stops a current tenant from getting in is an illegal lockout under NRS 118A.390. We are locksmiths, not lawyers. So every rule below links to the statute or the court help center, and a lawyer should read your lease with you.

• Late rent does not change itA landlord still needs a court case, a surrender or an abandoned unit to take the home back.
• The clock is shortFile within 5 judicial days, and the court sets a hearing within 3 more.
• A judge can add moneyActual losses, plus up to $2,500 set by the court.
• Tenants need permission tooNevada gives renters no general right to swap a lock and shut the landlord out.
• A dead lock has its own ruleWritten notice starts a 48 hour window for the landlord to fix it.

When a Nevada Landlord May Change the Locks

The legal test is whether the tenant has been blocked from getting in. NRS 118A.090 defines exclude as stopping entry by locking doors or by blocking entry in any other way. That wording does not care about the hardware. A new cylinder counts, a padlock on the gate counts, and in our reading a deleted keypad code counts too.

NRS 118A.480 then lists the only three ways a landlord can take a rental back. A court decides who has the right to the home, the tenant surrenders it, or the tenant abandons it. Unpaid rent is not on that list by itself, because it is only a reason to go to court.

This touches a lot of doors here. The city housing profile, built on Census survey data from 2012 to 2016, put renters at 47.9 percent of occupied homes in Las Vegas.

How a Lawful Lockout Actually Works

A real lockout comes with an officer, not a landlord holding a drill. Under NRS 40.253, a tenant behind on rent is first served a notice to pay or leave by the close of the seventh judicial day. A court order comes later if the case goes that way, and the sheriff or constable posts that order within 24 hours of getting it.

Then the officer removes the tenant no sooner than 24 hours and no later than 36 hours after posting. The landlord changes the lock after that step, not before it, and abandonment is the other path with its own math. NRS 118A.450 presumes it when a tenant is gone for half of a rent period, unless the rent is current or the tenant gave written notice of the trip.

So a tenant on a two week work trip with paid rent has not abandoned anything, and a landlord who guesses wrong has done a lockout.

What to Do the Day Your Key Stops Working

Start with proof, because you may be standing in front of a judge within days. Photograph the lock, your key in it, and any notice on the door, then save every text and email and ask the landlord in writing for a working key today.

Next, count your days. The Civil Law Self Help Center says judicial days leave out the day of the act, Fridays, weekends and legal holidays. Do not assume a Friday counts. As a worked example, a Monday lockout with no holiday that week has its fifth day on the next Tuesday.

File in time, because a late complaint gets dismissed under NRS 118A.390. You keep your other remedies, but you lose the fast track back into the home. The Self Help Center lists no filing fee, and the statute defers court costs until the case ends, when the judge can charge the losing side.

In Las Vegas, the Justice Court takes filings at the Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Avenue, first floor, Monday through Thursday from 7am to 5pm. Filing online through eFileNV carries a $2.50 upload fee, according to the Self Help Center. Henderson and other townships use their own version of the form, so check the right court before you print anything. Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada runs the center in the same building, and its main line is (702) 386 1070.

Then serve the landlord right away. A constable, a sheriff, a process server or any adult you know can hand over the papers, and that person signs an Affidavit of Service. Bring it to the hearing, which must happen within 3 judicial days of filing, because a judge needs proof of service before ruling.

Keep every receipt from the first hour on. Motel bills and other money you were forced to spend are actual damages, and the judge can order the home restored, award those losses, add up to $2,500, and hold the landlord in contempt if the case calls for it. The amount turns on good faith, how you two dealt with each other, and how much harm you took.

You can also end the lease and get back prepaid rent and any deposit you are owed. And under NRS 118A.460, for 5 days after an eviction or lockout, a landlord must give a former tenant a fair chance to pick up medication, baby formula, basic clothing and personal care items.

Why a Locksmith Is the Wrong First Call

We will say this even though we are the ones with the drill, so if your landlord changed the lock on purpose, call the court before you call anyone like us. A locksmith will ask for identification with the address or a lease before opening a door, and we ask for the same thing.

That paperwork shows you live there, but it does not settle a fight over who has the right to the door. A drilled lock also hands your landlord a damage complaint to bring to your hearing. A judge's order is the cleaner key.

A plain lockout is a different story. If you lost your key, or the old lock jammed, and nobody is disputing your right to be there, a house lockout call is the normal fix. Tell your landlord the same day, and keep the invoice in case anyone asks about the door later.

Can a Tenant Change the Locks in Nevada?

Usually not without asking first, since Chapter 118A gives renters no general right to swap a lock and your lease does most of the talking. Most of the trouble comes from access. Under NRS 118A.330, a tenant cannot unreasonably refuse entry for repairs, inspections or showings, and a landlord can enter in an emergency.

A lock with no landlord copy blocks all of that. NRS 118A.500 lets a landlord seek a court order for access or end the lease, and recover actual damages either way. So get the yes in writing, pay for the work, and hand over a copy of the new key when the job is done.

Ask for a rekey before you ask for new hardware. It leaves the landlord's lock on the door, makes the old keys useless, and is also the cheaper ask, since our residential rekeys start at $79. Our moving guide has the questions to ask when you first get the keys.

One group of tenants can require a new lock. Under NRS 118A.345, a tenant who gave the written notice in that section because of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking can make the landlord install one. The tenant pays, and the landlord may rekey a lock in good condition or replace it with one of equal or better quality.

The landlord may keep a copy of that key, but the landlord must refuse to give one to the other party, whatever the lease says. If you are in that spot, the same Self Help Center is a good first stop.

When the Door Lock Itself Is Broken

A lock that will not lock is a landlord problem, as long as you follow the steps. NRS 118A.380 names a functioning door lock as an essential item. It applies when the landlord must supply one and the failure makes the home unfit to live in.

Written notice comes first, because your rights under this section generally do not start until you give it. The landlord then has 48 hours to fix it or make a best effort, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays. Text the photo too, but do not count on the text alone as your written notice.

If nothing happens, you have choices. You can get the repair done and deduct the actual, reasonable cost from the rent, recover actual damages, withhold rent that comes due while the problem lasts, or move to comparable housing while rent stops. Keep the invoice either way, and talk to a lawyer before you hold back rent, since a wrong step there can land you in an eviction case.

What Landlords Should Do With Keys

Chapter 118A has no line that orders a rekey between tenants, but we would do it anyway, because every former tenant, cleaner and handyman who kept a key is a problem you can remove for the price of a rekey. Our residential locksmith page covers rekeying every exterior lock and changing garage and mailbox keys at turnover.

Big properties have a harder rule. NRS 118A.332, added in 2025, covers more than 50 units on one parcel in a county of 100,000 people or more, which takes in Clark County. Those landlords need written key policies, a log kept on site, and criminal background checks for anyone hired into a job with key access.

That key log counts more than metal, since the statute also covers electronic mechanisms, combinations and access codes. A person harmed by a violation, or a district attorney, can sue for actual damages and attorney fees.

If you must change a lock on an occupied unit for a good reason, such as a failed cylinder, treat it as a repair. Give the 24 hours of notice the law asks for, come during normal business hours, and hand the tenant working keys before you leave. Get a signature, because that one sheet of paper is the difference between a repair and a lockout claim.

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Loose Ends

Can a landlord change the locks if I do not pay rent in Nevada?

No. Late rent lets a landlord start the eviction process, not change the lock. The lock comes after a court order and removal by a sheriff or constable.

Am I allowed to change the locks on a rental property?

Only with the landlord on board, in most cases. Check your lease, get a written yes and hand over a copy of the key. Certain domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault and stalking cases are the exception under NRS 118A.345.

How much notice does a landlord have to give in Nevada before coming in?

At least 24 hours, during normal business hours, unless it is an emergency or you agree to something shorter. That rule sits in NRS 118A.330.

Does a landlord have to change the locks between tenants in Nevada?

Chapter 118A has no such order, though properties with more than 50 units in Clark County must keep written key policies and a key log. Ask whether your unit was rekeyed, and get the answer in writing.

How much can a tenant get for an illegal lockout?

Actual damages, an amount up to $2,500 set by the court, or both. The judge looks at good faith, how the two sides dealt with each other and the harm done.

Do these rules cover a shop or office?

No. Chapter 118A is about homes, and commercial leases fall under different rules. The eviction section for commercial space is NRS 40.2542, so talk to a lawyer before you touch a commercial lock in a dispute.

Need a lock handled the right way? See our residential locksmith service and rekeying versus replacing, or call (725) 280‑5051 any hour and we will give you the price before we start.

Original Documents

• Nevada Legislature, NRS Chapter 118A, Landlord and Tenant, Dwellings
• Nevada Legislature, NRS Chapter 40, Actions and Proceedings in Particular Cases Concerning Property
• Civil Law Self Help Center, Illegal Lockouts and Service Termination
• Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Civil Law Self Help Center
• City of Las Vegas, Housing Characteristics, American Community Survey 2012 to 2016